Many of us have aspirations to eat well and this includes having plenty of fruit in our diet. However, sometimes this proves quite difficult to do, with research by Public Health England finding that the number of people managing to eat their five-a-day has fallen in recent years, according to the Telegraph. Amongst adults aged 18-64, only 27% of people consume the government recommended intake of fruit of vegetables. It is not always easy to eat enough fruit, especially with demanding jobs and hectic lifestyles. So here with have put together four easy ways to incorporate more fruit into your everyday life.
- Snack on it
One way to help get more fruit into your diet is to treat it as a snack item. Fruit is a good snack as it can help fill you up and keep mid-afternoon slumps at bay. These days there are many different options available. If you’re bored of taking an apple with you every day, why not buy some more exciting pre-cut fruit such as papaya or melon slices instead? Or, if you fancy a mixture, make a big fruit salad at the start of the week and take one portion a day into work in a small pot.
- Sip a smoothie
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Smoothies are a super easy way to get some of your five-a-day as well as being a good way of using up any fruit that’s getting overripe. They can be a great breakfast, a snack along the way or even a dessert depending on what you put in. There are lots of different flavour combinations to choose from, such as a tropical mango and coconut smoothie or a super berry smoothie with added oats, which is designed to fill you up as well as kick start the day.
- Add it to savoury dishes
Fruit can be added to many savoury items to help boost your intake. Salads are an obvious choice where things such as grapefruit segments or strawberries can be added to the mix to make a more interesting lunch or side dish. Fruit, such as pineapple, can also be added to pizzas. Whilst not everyone is a big fan of fruit on pizzas, a recent survey by PromoPony found that 11% of respondents picked pineapple as their favourite topping, showing that the Hawaiian is still a popular choice with some. If you prefer pepperoni though, like 46% of those asked did, then you can increase your fruit intake by opting for a dessert-based one with a banana on top instead!
- Stock up
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Finally, in order to eat more, you need to make sure you’re sufficiently stocked up with fruit in the first place. To do this, try to plan ahead by including lots of fruit on a weekly shopping list. As well as fresh items, keep a supply of frozen fruit in your freezer. Things like frozen raspberries or frozen grapes make a great quick dessert or can easily be thrown into a smoothie too.
With a little bit of organisation and a little bit of imagination, you’ll be on your way to your five-a-day in no time.
